Special
by phoebenpiper
Summary: Abby is convinced that Jess and Becker are about to hook up and starts to worry that Jess's excessive planning may only lead to disappointment.  Takes place post-Series 5.


Special

a Primeval fanfic by phoebenpiper

...

Now that she and Connor were officially engaged, Abby was eager to find a place of their own. Up till now, she'd enjoyed rooming with Jess - it had been especially nice when Connor had been spending all his time at Prospero - but now she was eager for a little privacy.

She also got the distinct impression that Jess might soon like some privacy of her own. Ever since the beetles incident, the field coordinator had been growing ever closer to Becker. Abby knew the two of them would eventually hook up, probably sooner rather than later, and it'd be nice for Jess to have the place to herself when that finally happened.

In anticipation of moving out, Abby had started thinking about how to approach Lester about the pets. Before the new ARC and its menagerie - before she and Connor had been stranded in the Cretaceous - Rex and the diictodons had been their pets. No, more than pets - they'd been family. So now that she and Connor were going to be getting a place of their own, Abby planned on asking Lester about the possibility of Rex, Sid, and Nancy coming home with them again.

"Just ask him," Connor had said when she'd broached the subject. "He'll probably be fine with it."

But Abby knew it wasn't that simple. In essence, they were asking for official permission to break one of the cardinal rules of the ARC...on a permanent basis! And unfortunately, thanks to Convergence, the entire world now knew what they did here at the ARC. Lester's once-thankless job had become even more difficult, and every move the team made was now under intense scrutiny. If the bureaucrats - hell, if the SCIENTISTS discovered that long-extinct prehistoric creatures were merely being treated like common house pets, Lester might be raked over the coals and the very future of the ARC might be in jeopardy. So Abby wanted to tread carefully and make her request as formal and official as possible because she was well aware, even if Connor wasn't, that they were asking for special treatment.

She'd decided the best way to go about making her special request was to write a formal letter to Lester. She'd started writing it days ago, and she was already on draft #7. Every time she'd print out her "final" draft, she'd glance it over and decide it still wasn't perfect. There was always some phrase that sounded awkward, or some word that didn't seem quite right, and before she knew it, her pristine letter would once again be covered in corrections.

After revising her latest draft, she decided it was finally time to get an outside opinion. She knew what Connor would say - "Lester knows what Rex and the kids mean to us. Stop your worrying." - so Jess seemed to be a more logical person to ask. After all, Jess knew Lester better than anyone, what with her job keeping her here in Ops instead of out in the field. Also, the two of them had formed a special bond after their near-death experience fighting the predators together. If anyone knew how to appeal to Lester's sentimental side, it'd be Jess. So Abby printed off draft #8 and headed towards Ops.

She should've known better than to read it through again, but she couldn't help but glance at the printed letter as she walked. Suddenly, a phrase that had been in the letter since its initial draft struck her as completely inappropriate, and she was shocked that she hadn't noticed it before. By the time she reached Ops, she was not only desperate for a pen but for a thesaurus as well, since "domesticate" no longer seemed quite right either.

Stopping at a laptop behind Jess, Abby immediately logged on and started loading . As she began typing in random words, trying to find something more suitable, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She didn't need to look up to know who the figure in black was - or where he was going - because Jess's voice told all.

"Morning, Becker!"

"Morning," Abby heard him reply as he sauntered over to the hub.

Although she was still concentrating on the laptop in front of her, Abby could practically hear Jess's grin. "So," the field coordinator began, lowering her voice before continuing, "I was reading through the files last night..."

"Jessica." Becker's stern tone implied he was clearly worried that she'd been up to no good.

Which, knowing Jess, she probably had.

"Don't get all paranoid, silly! I wasn't reading YOUR file."

Abby glanced up at Becker's sigh of relief and watched him raise a questioning eyebrow, waiting for Jess to continue. When she didn't, he finally prompted, "Well?"

Jess swiveled her chair back towards the monitors, coyly taunting, "I'm not sure I want to tell you now."

Becker sighed with frustration, and even with her back turned away, Abby could sense Jess's playful grin.

However, the girl couldn't contain her excitement for long and turned back to the soldier, saying, "So I was reading through the files-"

"Yeah, I got that, Jess" Becker said impatiently, and even Abby was starting to wonder what Jess had discovered.

"Whatcha doing?"

Connor's voice made Abby practically jump out of her skin.

"Sorry," he quickly apologised, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"No worries," Abby said.

"Thesaurus-dot-com?" Connor asked, glancing at the computer screen.

Abby didn't want to admit to him what she'd been working on, so she quickly tried to change the subject. "Have you noticed how chummy Jess and Becker have become lately?"

As if to illustrate the point, Jess let out a loud giggle. Abby and Connor turned to find the soldier and the field coordinator engaged in a lively yet private conversation at the hub. Their faces were mere inches from each other, and Jess was clutching Becker's forearm as she animatedly spoke.

"Yeah, you're right," Connor commented, not taking his eyes from the couple at the ADD. "They DO seem to be a lot closer lately."

With Connor thus distracted, Abby quickly shut down the web browser and tucked away her latest draft as she agreed, "Exactly. I bet it won't be long now."

Connor turned to Abby, a look of confusion on his face. "Long till what?"

Abby merely raised her eyebrows, but Connor instantly caught her meaning.

"You think?" Connor asked, obviously doubtful. "I mean, Action Man doesn't seem to be taking much action."

Abby smiled, remembering how slow Connor had been to make his move back in the day.

"Mark my words," Abby said. "Something's brewing."

Connor crinkled his nose as he sniffed the air. "Tea would be my guess."

Abby laughed and gave her fiance a peck on the cheek. "See you at lunch?" she asked as she started to make her way out of Ops.

It wasn't until Abby was greeted by Rex as she re-entered the menagerie that she realised she hadn't given the letter to Jess to read. But it was probably for the best, as she wanted to add her latest corrections to it first...and possibly read it through a few more times!

...

By the end of the day, Abby was on draft #10 of her letter and still hadn't had a chance to speak to Jess about it. However, as Abby went over the letter in her head as she drove home, she suddenly realised that the flow would work better if she swapped paragraphs 2 and 3 and decided to make that change before handing over draft #11 for Jess's suggestions.

A sudden song ringing through the car brought Abby back to the moment. In the backseat, Jess rustled through her purse as her mobile's ringtone continued to chime before finally answering with a cheery, "Hello."

As always, Abby felt uncomfortable when stuck in the car with someone on the phone, since it was impossible not to eavesdrop.

Not that Jess ever had anything to hide.

"No, I can't talk now - I'm in the car." She gave a giggle before replying, "No, I'm not driving, silly. Abby's driving...though Connor thinks he is."

"Oy!" Connor objected from the passenger seat as Abby laughed - it was nice to know that she wasn't the only one to notice Connor's annoying habit of backseat driving.

"Becker says hi," Jess reported cheerfully from the backseat.

Connor shot Abby an amused look, to which she replied with a knowing shrug - she was just as surprised as him that Becker was now calling Jess after hours, though it merely proved her point.

"Oh, then never mind," Jess said, a teasing tone in her voice as she reported, "I guess Becker DOESN'T say hi."

Even from the front seat Abby could hear Becker's annoyed, "Jessica!" through the phone.

"Well, that's what you said," she taunted into her mobile. After a pause, she asked, "Are you certain?" before reporting, "Becker says hi again."

Abby couldn't help but smile...and wonder when exactly Jess had managed to wrap Becker around her finger so. When Abby had drawn Connor's attention to Jess and Becker's flirtatious conversation earlier, it had merely been a sleight of hand, an attempt to distract him so he wouldn't bother her about the letter. But now, listening to Jess as she chatted gaily away to the soldier, Abby was thinking that there might actually be something going on between the pair.

And it was about bloody time!

Jess's voice grew softer as she continued to talk to the soldier. "Well, I can't really talk now. ... No, I don't think we should. ... I think it's best we just keep it between you and me for now. ... We can talk about it tomorrow, when you bring me my chocolate. ...What do you MEAN, 'what chocolate'?"

Connor's sigh could easily be heard over Jess's giggling. Abby reached over and gave him a sympathetic pat on the knee. She wondered if others at the ARC had felt the same way about the two of them back in the day. In a way, it was fun to live vicariously through the other couple as it reminded Abby just how exciting those early days of romance had been. Yet in a way, the suspense was KILLING her. The two clearly liked each other, and it was almost painful to watch them tentatively dance around, neither admitting their feelings. Abby was certain they could both make each other very happy if they'd just take that leap.

"All right, come find me first thing in the morning," Jess was now saying. "We've got LOTS to talk about. ... See you!"

"So, what'd Becker want?" Connor asked, turning around in his seat as Jess hung up.

"Nothing," she said, but Abby could hear the smug grin in her voice.

"Uh-huh," Connor said, clearly not believing her.

"He just called to ... uh ... say hi," Jess said, obviously unable to come up with a better excuse on the fly.

"I think that's nice, Jess," Abby said. "I'm glad you guys are becoming such good...friends." She put special emphasis on the final word to let Jess know that it would be okay with her and Connor if they decided to become MORE than friends. "And if you ever want to have, you know, a girl talk or anything, I'm here."

"Thanks, Abby."

But that conversation would be a long time in coming.

…

With Connor around all evening, Abby didn't have a chance to re-edit the letter until the next morning. She printed out draft #12 on the menagerie printer and headed to Ops to give it to Jess. But as she neared the hub, she saw her flatmate once again engaged in an intimate conversation with Becker. Not wanting to interrupt, Abby hung back, pretending to be busy at a workstation nearby, but she could still hear her coworkers clearly, as they weren't even attempting to keep their voices low.

"So, have you decided when?" Becker was asking.

Jess nodded. "I definitely think we should do it on Friday."

Becker seemed somewhat surprised by her answer. "Friday? Are you sure?"

Jess grinned eagerly. "I don't want to put it off any longer, do you?"

Becker smirked. "You're not really the 'delayed gratification' sort, are you, Miss 'Where's My Morning Chocolate'?"

"Hey! I'm waiting till Friday - that's more than plenty delayed, considering! Besides, you promised I could be in charge of planning this."

"By all means, plan away," Becker said with a smile, clearly amused by her bossiness. "So when exactly on Friday have you 'planned' for us to do this? At lunch?"

"Lunch?" Jess playfully swatted Becker on the shoulder. "I told you I wanted this to be SPECIAL! Just doing it at lunch isn't special."

"Sorry," Becker said, clearly chagrined. "So, after work then?"

"Well, OBVIOUSLY!" Jess replied. "I thought, if things went well, we could, you know, go out to dinner after or something."

Becker nodded. "Dinner would be nice."

"Of course it would," Jess said smugly. "Which is exactly why I'm in charge. If it were up to you, it'd be over in five minutes, and then you'd be off to the pub with your mates without a second thought."

Abby's startled cough was louder than intended for Becker turned to her, his guard suddenly up. "Did you need something, Abigail?" he asked, somewhat gruffly, obviously upset at having been interrupted.

Now it was Abby's turn to look chagrined. "Sorry, I didn't…I mean, I was just…I want Jess to read this," Abby stammered, thrusting the letter towards her flatmate.

"What is it?" Jess asked curiously as she took the letter.

"I just want your feedback," Abby explained. "It should be fairly self-explanatory. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated."

Jess nodded,. "I'll get it back to you later today."

"Thanks," Abby said, starting to go, anxious to get far away from Becker's glare. However, she then remembered and turned back to add, "Oh, and Jess, if you wouldn't mind not mentioning it to Connor?"

Jess looked surprised at the request but automatically nodded. "Not a problem." She made a zipper motion across her lips as she promised, "My lips are sealed."

"Thanks, Jess," Abby said, hurrying off. She was thankful that she hadn't made such a promise, for she couldn't wait to tell Connor what she'd just overheard!

…

Abby was about to leave for lunch when Matt suddenly appeared in the menagerie, a concerned expression on his face.

"What is it?' Abby asked, instantly on guard.

"I'm worried about Jess and Becker."

"What about them?"

"They're up to something, and they're keeping secrets."

Abby laughed. "Oh, is that all?"

"Abby, keeping secrets around here can be dangerous business. You should know that better than anyone."

"Better than you?" Abby retorted, sounding harsher than she'd intended. She quickly softened her tone as she continued, "But seriously, Matt, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm sure their secret isn't anything like yours…or Connor's."

"But how can you be certain?" Matt asked, not convinced. "They sounded fairly serious."

"Well, what did you overhear exactly?' Abby asked, not wanting to jump to any conclusions without hearing all the facts.

Matt looked a bit sheepish, as if not wanting to admit he'd been eavesdropping. "Well, Becker asked Jess if they ought to tell 'the others' because he was sure they'd like to know, but Jess insisted that she didn't want to risk spoiling it - something about how she wanted it to be 'special'."

Abby nodded. So far, Matt's info only confirmed her suspicions, and she was eager to hear more.

Matt went on: "Jess mentioned something about Connor being rubbish at keeping secrets, and …well…."

Matt seemed hesitant to continue, so Abby quickly prompted, "Yes?"

"And Jess said that, because of your current situation, you were likely to…well…."

Clearly Matt felt uncomfortable repeating Jess's words aloud, which made Abby even more desperate to know what her flatmate had said about her.

"What? I was likely to what?"

Matt gulped nervously before blurting out, "You were likely to spill all to Connor. So Jess insisted they couldn't risk telling either of you because they didn't want it all over the ARC."

Abby's initial response was anger, offended that Jess would assume that she couldn't keep a secret, that she'd automatically blab their private business to Connor like some gossipmonger. However, she then remembered she'd be planning to do just that at lunch, eager to share with her fiance what she'd overheard at the hub earlier, and she suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Jess was right - what business was it of Connor's…or hers…or Matt's? Jess and Becker had a right to conduct their affairs in private, and Abby was going to do her best to stop the rumours right here, right now.

"I really don't think you have to worry about their secret," Abby tried to reassure Matt, being as vague as possible so as not to give anything away. "I think it's just a…uh…private matter." Matt raised his eyebrows curiously, but Abby was now determined not to be the sort of gossip that Jess evidently thought her to be. "Let's just let them be and see what happens, yeah?"

Matt shrugged, clearly not convinced but willing to take her word for it and not pursue it further for the time being. Turning to go, he requested, "But if you find out anything…if it is serious…?"

Abby nodded. "You'll be the first to know."

…

Lunch that day was awkward because the two things weighing heaviest on Abby's mind - her letter to Lester and Jess and Becker's impending hook-up - were the last things she wanted to talk about. Finally she just asked Connor about the latest X-Men reboot and let him prattle on excitedly, hoping he wouldn't notice that her mind was elsewhere.

So when Connor stopped by the menagerie for no apparent reason later that afternoon, Abby was instantly on her guard, worried he might have noticed her distraction and come to call her on it.

However, she should've known that Connor could be extremely oblivious at times.

"Hey, cutie," he said, purportedly to Rex, before giving Abby a quick peck, adding, "You, too, dear."

Abby laughed. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Connor pretended to be hurt. "What? I can't just drop in to say hello to my favourite lizard?"

Abby raised her eyebrows doubtfully, but he was too busy scratching Rex under the chin to notice. She knew that he'd been missing the pets as much as she had, which was why his refusal to get on-board the whole letter thing was so frustrating.

And while she enjoyed Connor's company, she did have work to do, so she finally prompted, "Connor?"

"Oh right. So I came to tell you that I've come to the conclusion that you're absolutely right."

"I am?" Abby was somewhat surprised, wondering what had made him change his mind about the letter.

"Yep," Connor said, nodding his head eagerly. "They're planning to have sex this Friday."

Abby was momentarily confused. "What? Who?"

"Who? Jess and Becker, of course! Who else?"

Abby instantly felt guilty, realizing that Jess had been completely justified in her concerns about the two of them. And while Abby wasn't the one dishing the dirt, she'd clearly created a monster by putting the suggestion to Connor in the first place. He was now eager to gossip about their friends, and all because she hadn't wanted to argue with him about the letter. Since she was responsible for putting Connor on the trail of Jess and Becker's impending hook-up, it was her job to stop him before he got too carried away.

"Connor, maybe we shouldn't be dishing about our friends this way. They have a right to a little privacy."

"Privacy? If they'd wanted privacy, then they shouldn't've been talking about it so loudly at the hub."

Abby was shocked. "They were openly discussing shagging in Ops? In front of people?"

Connor looked a little sheepish as he admitted, "Well, technically they were having a private discussion, but they knew I was working just behind them. And Jess knows how her voice carries. So it might as well have been in public"

Abby nodded. She was torn: the devil on her shoulder was dying to know what Connor had overheard, but the angel on the other side was already feeling guilty enough and was telling her not to encourage Connor to gossip, especially here at work where others might accidentally overhear.

Luckily for the devil, Connor didn't need any encouragement to blithely continue on: "So anyway, Jess asks if he's bought any, and Becker says he already has some on hand, but-"

"Any what?" Abby asked, totally confused, feeling as if she were coming into the conversation late.

Connor looked at her as if she were dim. "Rubber johnnies, of course."

Abby's eyes bugged. "They were discussing johnnies in the middle of Ops?"

"Just listen," Connor said, clearly frustrated, before starting over again like a little kid. "So she asks if he's bought any, and he says he already has some on hand, but Jess gets really adamant and insists that he needs to go buy more because, and I quote: 'If things go well, we're liable to go all night, and we don't want to run out.'" Connor grinned, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Can you believe it? Our little Jess, an animal in the sack!" Connor suddenly had a thought and added, "Poor Becker!"

"Poor Becker?" Abby repeated absently.

"Yeah, I kinda feel sorry for him," Connor admitted. "You know how full of energy Jess always is. I just hope Becker can keep up with her. I mean, she's expecting to go all night! And on a Friday, after working all week." Connor shook his head. "I hope he's catching up on his sleep now - he's gonna need all his energy so as not to disappoint her."

Abby knew she should shut Connor up, but what was the point? Other than Rex, the two them were alone in here, and Abby's mind was already thinking along the same lines as him, though from a slightly different perspective. With all the preplanning, with all the attempts to make this "special", Abby realised that Jess was just setting herself up to be tragically disappointed.

…

Abby spent the rest of the day worrying about Jess...and browbeating herself for not having thought about the consequences to Jess's eager planning before now. Abby had been so excited over the idea of her two friends finally getting together that she hadn't realised just how much pressure Jess had been putting not only on Becker but on the entire experience. Jess tended to be a bit of a perfectionist, which was made crystal clear by the fact that she was putting more planning into her first encounter with the soldier than Abby had yet put into her wedding! In fact, the girl was so determined to make it "special" that Abby was now convinced her friend was just heading for a fall.

After all, it was always a bad idea to go into something with expectations too high. And Jess clearly expected her first time with Becker to be perfect. How could anything - or anyONE - possibly live up to that?

Abby wanted to warn Jess, to protect her from being terribly let down. Jess and Becker belonged together, of that Abby was certain, and she didn't want to see their relationship fail before it even had a chance to begin, all because Jess was building this up so much. Yet how could Abby possibly broach the subject with her friend? The impending shagging was meant to be a secret, and the realisation that others knew about it would surely only add to Jess's disappointment. But Abby couldn't just stand by and watch her friend set herself up for such a letdown. So what was she to do?

Abby was still contemplating this dilemma on the drive home that evening when Jess suddenly gave her an opening.

"I wish Friday would just hurry up and get here," Jess wistfully sighed, staring dreamily out the back window.

Abby could only imagine what her friend was dreaming of, and she couldn't let this opportunity pass her by.

"Jess, you know, sometimes it's not a good idea to look forward to things too much, to get your hopes up too high," she began vaguely. "I mean, Fridays are all well and good, but if you expect too much from them, they might not be able to deliver, to live up to your expectations. Especially if you've put all your hopes into this one...day, made it out in your head that it's going to be perfect, that it's going to be special, then you're just asking for trouble. It's like...putting all your eggs in one fragile basket, which is liable to break from the sheer weight of the expectations."

"Huh?" Jess seemed thoroughly confused.

And who could blame her? Abby knew she wasn't making much sense, but she was afraid to be more specific.

"I just...I mean, I don't want you to...you know...what I'm saying is...I'm worried about you, Jess," Abby finally managed to blurt out.

"Worried?" Jess repeated blankly.

Abby sighed frustratedly before deciding to take a different tact. "You've seemed really...distracted this week, Jess."

This seemed to get through to the girl for she gasped and said, "Oh my God, you're right, I totally forgot to give you back your letter! I'm so sorry - it totally slipped my mind."

"Letter?" Now it was Connor's turn to repeat back blankly.

But Abby ignored her fiance, desperate to get the conversation back on point. "No, Jess, that's not what I-"

"Are you still on about that letter to Lester, asking for the kids?" Connor asked, sounding not a bit pleased.

Abby refused to respond, instead stubbornly staring out the windscreen at the road ahead.

Connor continued anyway. "I told you just to ask Lester, but do you listen to me? No. And not only do you ignore my advice, now you gotta drag Jess into it?"

"I didn't drag Jess into anything," Abby shot back, angry at being scolded like an errant child. "I was just asking for her feedback, since you refuse to offer me any help with this." She lowered her voice before adding, "And I really don't think we should be discussing this in the car."

But Connor didn't seem to care that their flatmate was trapped in the backseat. "I don't get you, Abby. You say you're worried about Jess getting her hopes up too high and putting her eggs in one basket and all that, but what about you? You're doing exactly the same thing."

"Rex and the kids aren't eggs, Connor!" Abby practically yelled back. "They're FAMILY!"

"Which is EXACTLY why you shouldn't be starting your request to Lester with a letter. You're making such a big deal of it that it's bound to BECOME a big deal. And then, if the answer's no, you'll be crushed and there'll be no place else for you to go." Connor paused before continuing tenderly, "I just don't want to see you get your heart broken."

Abby was shaking with rage, but somewhere deep down inside her logical mind knew that Connor had a point. So instead of unleashing the slew of unpleasant epithets that were poised on the tip of her tongue, she instead remained silent, focussing her fury on the steering wheel instead. She could feel the heightened tension in the car and knew how uncomfortable it must be for her flatmate, but at the moment she was too angry to really care about anyone else.

A few blocks later, glancing in the rearview before changing lanes, Abby saw Jess's reflection mouth a heartfelt "Sorry."

It was only then that Abby realised she'd never finished expressing her concerns to her friend. But all things considered, perhaps now was not the best time for that!

...

In fact, a good time didn't present itself until midmorning the next day. Jess slipped quietly into the menagerie, looking chagrined. She gave the room a once-over, obviously checking to ensure Connor wasn't there, before launching into her profuse apology.

"Abby, I am SO sorry about yesterday! You asked me not to mention the letter in front of Connor, and then I went and did just that, and in the CAR! I don't know what I was thinking! You're right - I guess I have been a bit distracted this week. But still, that's no excuse for blabbing your secret like that. I'm really sorry! I hope you'll forgive me!"

"Of course, Jess. It's fine. It wasn't entirely your fault. And besides, it's probably a good thing that Connor and I talked."

"It sounded more like yelling to me."

Abby laughed. "Yeah, I suppose it did. Sorry you had to hear it."

Jess shook her head, clearly thinking she should be the one apologising, before blurting out the real reason for her stopping by. "Oh, and here's your letter back."

Abby took it, glancing at the pen marks all over it. "So what'd you think?"

"I...uh...thought the letter was fine."

Abby could sense her friend's hesitancy, so she prompted, "But?"

"But...I think Connor may have a point," Jess said, cringing as if she was afraid Abby might lash out at her.

Abby could, in fact, feel her blood starting to boil, but she forced herself to sound calm as she prompted, "Oh?"

"See, Lester's a softie at heart, though don't ever tell him I said that! And if it's merely up to him, I think he'd totally allow you to keep Rex and the diictodons. So if you just ask him, he'll probably say yes. And that way, see, it's all done under the table. Nothing 'official'. Nothing that can get any of you in trouble. And then, if something were to happen and there was a problem and the government ended up finding out and making a fuss, Lester could maintain plausible deniability. He could pretend he didn't know anything about it and make a show of promising to discipline you, then simply give you and Connor a token slap on the wrist and proceed to find an 'official' solution from there. But if you write him a letter, if you make it official straightaway..."

Abby nodded. She'd thought she'd be helping Lester by making a formal request, but she now realised that an official letter would only tie his hands, making his position much more tenuous, and that was the last thing Lester needed right now.

And, of course, that's exactly what Connor had been trying to say all along!

"Then what would you suggest?" Abby asked.

Jess shrugged. "Like Connor said - just ask him. And if, for some reason, he says no, you can always escalate to a letter from there."

Abby nodded. "But if he says yes..."

Jess grinned. "Poof! Instant family!"

Abby couldn't help but return the smile. "You're right. And, much as I hate to admit it," Abby reluctantly conceded, "Connor was right, too. I guess I'll try asking Lester directly first and just hope he says yes."

"Great!" Jess said. "But not today - he's in a rotten mood. Wait until tomorrow." Jess's eyes twinkled as she continued, "Ooh, yes, tomorrow will be perfect. It'll be Friday, and everyone's in a good mood on Fridays, yeah?"

Abby noticed the look and instantly knew what was prompting her friend's good mood.

"Yeah, about tomorrow," Abby began, deciding to take the opening. "I think you're focusing too hard on making this thing with Becker perfect, and I just think-"

"You know about the thing with Becker tomorrow?" Jess asked, clearly horrified.

Abby cringed, feeling guilty. "Sorry. I simply overheard-"

"I really wanted it to be a surprise!" Jess said before adding desperately, "PLEASE promise me you won't tell him...or the others?"

Abby nodded - she had no intention of letting Becker know she'd been eavesdropping on him and Jess all week. "No worries there, Jess. I won't tell a soul. I just think...I know you want everything to be perfect, but like Connor said to me, I just don't want you to get your hopes up too much, you know? I don't want to see you get hurt if things don't go exactly as planned."

Jess smiled, looking somewhat relieved. "I appreciate your concern, Abby, but I'll be fine. Really. I know what I'm doing."

But Abby wasn't convinced that she did.

...

"You were right."

Still feeling somewhat stupid for not having foreseen the consequences to her letter scheme, it felt reassuring to hear Matt's words.

"Right about what?" Abby asked.

"Jess and Becker," Matt answered, as if it was obvious. "Their secret isn't any threat to the integrity of the ARC."

"Oh yes?"

"I overheard them talking at the hub just now...about champagne."

"Champagne?" That didn't bode well for Jess not getting her hopes up.

Matt nodded. "Yes, something about making sure it was chilled beforehand because she wanted everything to be perfect."

Abby felt a knot in the pit of her stomach.

"She also mentioned something about Becker going ahead and getting dinner reservations." Clearly this news had taken a load off. "So we have nothing to worry about - they're just going on some sort of date."

"Yeah," Abby said, feeling anything but relieved. "Nothing to worry about."

Only her friend's imminent disappointment.

...

Abby had hoped to talk to Jess again that night, but the girl locked herself in her bedroom the entire evening, which only made Abby worry more. However, it gave her and Connor a chance to truly talk. She knew he'd been walking on eggshells since their argument the night before, so she felt she owed him an explanation...and an apology.

He seemed very relieved to hear that she'd given up on her letter plan and was intending to talk to Lester tomorrow. And instead of gloating or rubbing it in her face, he was instantly supportive.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Abby shook her head. "No. You're right - we shouldn't make too big a deal of this."

If only Jess would do the same, Abby added silently to herself.

...

Jess awoke at the crack of dawn and could be heard singing gaily in the kitchen like some peppy animated Disney princess.

"Make her stop," Connor grumbled, thwacking the snooze alarm as if it would silence her. "It's too early for such cheerfulness."

Abby agreed. She knew she should drag herself out of bed to go talk to her friend, yet it was too warm and cozy in Connor's arms to get up.

She must've dozed off again for the next thing she knew, Jess was whispering from the bedroom door, "I'm leaving now. Taking my own car. I'll see you guys later at work."

Ironically, though, it was Becker who walked into the menagerie first thing carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

"Hey, Abby," he began. "Can I stash these in here this morning?"

Abby nodded absently. "Are those for Jess?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Becker nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, she insisted. I don't really see the point, but whatever - there's no use telling no to that girl."

"Yeah, Jess is a very determined girl," Abby commented pointedly. She hadn't planned on saying anything to Becker about this whole situation, but she couldn't let the moment pass. "She's also a dear friend. And I'd hate to see her get hurt."

Becker said nothing, simply raising a questioning eyebrow.

But Abby suddenly remembered how Jess had begged her not to tell Becker that she knew what they had planned, which made her flustered as she attempted to reply to the soldier's inquiring look.

"I mean, I'm sure you don't want to see her get hurt either. You probably don't want to see anyone get hurt, for that matter. But Jess especially. Because she's special-I mean, exceptional. She's always so optimistic, seeing the bright side of everything. But sometimes wearing rose-coloured glasses can cause problems because one expects too much. Not that Jess is expecting too much. Certainly not from you or anything! I'm sure you'll be able to...I mean...anyway...I think she-"

Becker finally spoke up, putting Abby out of her misery. "I have work I need to do in the armoury this morning, so if you're not planning on making your point anytime soon, I think I'll just be going."

Abby knew the point she wanted to make, but she also knew that she couldn't make it without breaking her promise to Jess. So she simply nodded and let Becker slip out of the menagerie without another word.

...

"What is going on between Jess and Captain Becker?" Emily asked in lieu of a greeting as she reached the table in the canteen.

Abby gave a frantic "Shhh," as Matt and Connor both eagerly asked, "What happened?"

"They've been acting very strangely all week," Emily announced, stating the obvious as she took her seat next to Matt. "Always whispering with each other or sneaking off together. And then just now they were having an intense discussion about choosing a word."

"A word?" Matt repeated blankly.

Emily nodded. "Captain Becker insisted they needed some sort of word for this evening."

"A password?" Abby asked, trying to imagine why on earth they'd need a password to shag.

Emily shook her head. "No, it definitely wasn't a password."

"A safeword perhaps?" Connor asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

Starting to get worried at the turn of this conversation, Abby began, "Maybe we shouldn't be discussing this in-"

"Perhaps," Emily replied to Connor, ignoring Abby. "I don't rightly remember. I just know that they were discussing different possibilities for this word, but when I helpfully offered my suggestion, I suddenly got the distinct impression that Captain Becker wanted to shoot me."

Abby was both shocked and amused by Emily's story. "What did he say?"

Connor, on the other hand, had a different question: "What was your suggestion?"

"Connor!" Abby admonished, swatting her fiance.

Emily looked confused. She turned to Matt, asking, "Was it improper for me to offer a suggestion? I was just trying to be constructive, since they didn't seem able to decide on a word themselves."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Emily," Matt said, putting a comforting hand on hers. "But that was rather a private conversation you interrupted."

"Private? But they were having it in Ops. I assumed they were merely discussing security."

Connor snorted in amusement. "'Security' is one word for it."

Abby glared at Connor, scolding under her breath, "You're not helping."

"They may have been talking in public," Matt explained, "but it was DEFINITELY a private conversation they were having."

"How do you know that?" Emily demanded.

Matt's face was starting to turn red as he stammered, "Well...uh...you see...it has to do with...well...it's not really a topic for mixed company," he finally said, gesturing to the others sitting at the table. His eyes alighting on Abby, he added, "Perhaps Abby can explain it to you later."

"Gee, thanks," Abby mumbled under her breath, glaring at her team leader. The last thing she wanted was to explain what a safeword was to someone who, until a few weeks ago, had been living in Victorian times. Abby would've hoped that Emily might forget this whole exchange and never bring it up again, but Emily was tenacious when it came to learning about the 21st century, and Abby was certain her friend would question her the moment they were alone.

But at least Abby could avoid the subject for now. Hoping for a more neutral lunchtime topic, she asked casually, "So, how are your afternoons shaping up?"

"Becker's got everyone training in the armoury all afternoon," Matt said with a sigh, clearly not looking forward to it.

Connor nodded. "Under the circumstances, you'd think he'd want to take it easy - maybe even get a kip in when no one's watching. But no - he goes and plans extensive EMD training for four straight hours. Bloody masochist."

"EMD training?" Abby repeated blankly. "This is the first I've heard of it. Who's it for?"

"Everyone," Matt said simply.

Emily nodded. "Captain Becker specifically told me I was to attend."

Abby turned to Connor, who nodded. "Yep, me, too."

Abby was suddenly worried. She didn't remember Becker saying anything about training this morning. Of course, she'd made such a mess of things by stammering on incoherently that perhaps he'd merely forgotten to mention it to her.

"I...uh...better go check if I'm supposed to attend as well," Abby said, standing up. "Where do you think I might find Becker now?"

"Last I checked, he was planning to have lunch with Jess at the hub," Matt said.

Of course, Abby thought as she hurried out of the canteen.

Sure enough, she heard their voices chatting away in Ops long before she arrived.

"So you ready?" Becker was asking.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"You sound nervous."

"Of course I'm nervous. I want this to be perfect."

Abby entered Ops just in time to see Becker tenderly pat Jess's hand. They were sat cozily together at the table behind the hub, the vase of flowers between them. "It's gonna be great," he reassured her. "YOU'RE gonna be great. You've got nothing to worry about."

Jess gave a tentative smile. "You sure?"

"One hundred percent," Becker said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Abby cleared her throat to give them warning that they were no longer alone before calling out, "Hey, Becker."

Jess looked panicked upon seeing Abby and quickly tried to hide the flowers, but Becker grabbed her hand to stop her. "Don't bother - she's already seen them." At Jess's worried look, Becker shrugged, explaining, "I had to stash them somewhere all morning."

But Abby wasn't here to talk about the flowers. "So Becker, I understand you're giving EMD training all afternoon," she began.

Becker nodded, which wasn't exactly helpful.

"So...am I to attend?" Abby asked.

Becker turned towards Jess expectantly, as if the question had been posed to her instead of him.

"No, you're to be in the menagerie," Jess replied matter-of-factly.

But her answer merely confused Abby. "But I thought it was for everyone. Don't I need the EMD training?"

Becker shrugged, shaking his head. "Why? You know what you're doing with the EMDs."

"So does Matt. So does Emily, for that matter."

"But they definitely need the training," Jess jumped in, giving Becker a pointed look.

The soldier acknowledged her with a nod before turning to Abby, reassuring her, "Don't worry about it, Abby. Just go about your regular business. The training doesn't concern you."

"Yeah, I want you in the menagerie," Jess agreed. "I've already told Lester he's to find you there as soon he gets back so you can ask him your question about the animals."

"Where is he, by the way?" Becker asked.

Jess smiled mischievously at the soldier. "At a meeting with the Minister."

Abby realised the implications. "Then perhaps today isn't the best day to ask him about Rex," she said, knowing how grumpy Lester could be after his dealings with the Minister. And who could blame him? Abby did not envy all the bureaucratic nonsense that her guv'nor was constantly forced to deal with.

"No, it's absolutely the day to ask him," Jess said. "I promise." She glanced at Becker as she added. "Today will be perfect." She smiled winningly, but somehow Abby didn't think the smile was for her.

...

After lunch, Abby paced about the menagerie, waiting for Lester to arrive. A part of her wanted to take some notes on points she wanted to make, but she kept reminding herself not to make a big deal of it all. However, after two hours of pacing and getting no work done, she finally gave in and started to jot down some ideas.

Knowing the damage Sid and Nancy had wrought when they'd been houseguests at Lester's flat years ago, Abby obviously wanted to downplay their special needs whilst still justifying why an exception should be made for them. She became so engrossed in her work, trying to articulate why it would be beneficial to the animals to be in a secure and loving home instead of the sterile environment of the menagerie, she completely lost track of time. When she finally glanced up from her notes, she realised it was almost 4:00.

Tapping her earpiece, Abby asked into the comms, "Jess, did Lester forget about me?"

"No, Abby. In fact, he's just arriving back at the ARC now. He should be with you shortly - I've told him to meet you there straightaway."

So Abby sat down and, nervously jiggling her knee up and down, waited. And waited.

And waited.

Finally, so much time had transpired that she was certain Lester had forgotten to stop by. She was just about to call Jess again when Lester suddenly stumbled in. He was loosening his tie as he struggled to catch his breath, yet he had enough energy to slam his briefcase down on the counter before collapsing into a chair.

"Lester, are you okay?" Abby asked, concerned, as she hurried to his side.

He nodded, grumbling, "I will be. As long as you actually have something to discuss with me - or did Jess get THAT wrong as well?"

"Pardon?" Abby wasn't exactly following. Lester was clearly in a foul temper, and Abby was realising that now might not be the best time to ask him for a favour.

"That girl has been flustered and distracted all week, but today was well-nigh inexcusable," Lester complained. "Jess had me driving from one end of London to the other all afternoon, only to have me finally arrive at the proper meeting spot exactly one week early. And then I get back, only to discover the lifts are out-"

"The lifts are out?" Abby asked, surprised, not having left the menagerie all afternoon.

Lester nodded. "Some sort of maintenance Jess scheduled without bothering to warn me. So I'm forced to climb the back stairs from the car park in order to meet you here, supposedly to discuss something 'of dire importance'." He looked at Abby pointedly before adding, "So please tell me you were actually expecting me, or else this entire afternoon will have been a complete waste of time."

Abby nodded, gulping nervously. The last thing she wanted to do was bring up her request now, but not saying anything was liable to upset Lester more, and the last thing she wanted was to get Jess in trouble.

"Yes, I...uh...wanted to talk to you," Abby began hesitantly. She glanced down at the notes she'd taken, but they somehow didn't seem appropriate now. Instead, she decided to stall for time, hoping Lester's mood would mellow as he had time to sit and catch his breath. "See...as you probably know, Connor and I are engaged."

Lester rolled his eyes. "That's your big news? Everyone in the ARC is already well aware of your impending nuptials - your rather eager fiance has made certain of that."

Abby nodded, knowing full well how Connor always wore his heart - and now their engagement - proudly on his sleeve for all to see. "Yes, well, so now that we're getting married, we're planning to get a place of our own."

Lester shook his head. "I'm surprised you've lasted as long as you have rooming with Ms. Parker."

"Jess is lovely to room with," Abby said, quick to defend her friend. "Besides, she and Connor often stay up late discussing computers and who knows what else."

"That's what I'm talking about," Lester said. "The way the two of them only encourage each other's enthusiasm, I'm surprised it hasn't driven you potty long before now."

Abby laughed. "Yeah, they do rather feed off each other's energy. But anyway," she said, trying to get back on track, "Connor and I will soon be getting a place of our own. And when we do...uh...I mean..." She paused to look down at her notes, trying to collect her thoughts, before beginning again, "If you remember...before, when Connor and I were simply flatmates...back before we got stranded in the Cretaceous...we used to-"

Abby was interrupted by the klaxons suddenly sounding.

"It's an anomaly in Berkshire," Jess's voice was heard through the comms. "Latitude: 51.4 Longitude: -0.67. It's near the equestrian stables at Ascot."

Abby shot Lester a look, and he shrugged, replying drily, "Then you'd best 'move your bloomin' arse', hadn't you?"

She nodded, frustrated at having been interrupted, no matter how poorly it'd been going. As she headed for the door, Lester's mobile suddenly rang. She turned and raised an inquiring eyebrow, not knowing whether she should wait or go on without him. After glancing at his phone, he shooed her on as he answered the call, "Yes, dear?"

As Abby emerged into the hallway, she joined several members of the team who were already hurrying towards Ops.

"Emily," Abby acknowledged as she tried to keep stride with the taller woman. "Looks like you'll have a chance to put your new EMD training to work, yeah?"

"But such a strange coincidence, don't you think?"

"Coincidence?" Abby repeated back, not sure to what her friend was referring.

Emily nodded. "'Equestrian' was the word I suggested to Jess and Becker earlier today."

Abby didn't have time to even start deciphering what Emily's comment might mean before they reached Ops.

Or at least Abby thought it was Ops. But it looked nothing like the place she'd been only a few hours before. The entire room was decorated for a party, with balloons and streamers everywhere. Suspended from the ceiling was a large banner, obviously hand-painted with care by Jess, lovingly declaring: "Thank you, James Lester, for 25 years of amazing service!"

"Quickly, everyone," Jess was saying as Becker directed everyone into positions around Ops. "Lester will be here at any moment. And when he arrives we're all to yell, 'Surprise!' Got it?"

Abby nodded mindlessly as Becker led her over near the table decorated with flowers and covered with champagne glasses and a giant cake proclaiming "Happy 25th, Lester!" Before she knew it, she was calling out "Surprise!" with her fellow coworkers.

Although she was having such difficulty switching gears herself, they might as well have been calling it out for her benefit.

...

"Your speech was lovely," Abby complimented her friend.

Jess beamed. "And I meant every word of it. I know none of us say it that often, but we're extremely grateful for all you do, Lester." She gave her guv'nor a friendly hug as she added, "I don't know what we would do around here without you."

"Redecorate, it seems," the man in the pin-striped suit mumbled drily as he uncomfortably extracted himself from the embrace.

Matt nodded. "I'm amazed you did this all by yourself, Jess."

"Oh, it wasn't just me. I got all of clerical to decorate with me this afternoon, and Becker helpfully kept the rest of you out of Ops while we did."

"So THAT's why you wouldn't let us take a break," Connor said. "I thought you were just being a wanker."

"Connor!" Abby scolded, swatting her fiance, though Becker seemed to just shrug it off.

"And my driving around all afternoon...?" Lester asked.

Jess grinned. "All part of the plan to keep you away until we were ready. And then Abby obviously was the last piece of that puzzle."

Lester looked at Abby, raising an eyebrow. "So all that stuttering nonsense...you were just delaying me?"

Abby's face turned read. "Well, actually...I didn't really know about all this myself."

"Abby, there's no need to keep up the pretense any longer," Jess said, before explaining to the group, "Abby actually figured out what we were planning days ago, but I made her promise not to give the game away to Lester."

"You sneaky devil," Connor teased his fiance. "I can't believe you didn't tell us. And putting us off the scent like that - you're a right evil mastermind."

"Putting you off the scent how?" Becker asked, giving Abby a distrustful look.

Connor blithely continued, "See, Abby had us all convinced that you two were-"

"Jess, this cake is amazing," Abby jumped in, abruptly changing the subject as she tried to avoid Becker's eyes. "Wherever did you get it from?"

"Isn't it good?" Jess said. "Lester's wife recommended the place."

Lester, who had just taken a bite of said cake, coughed it back onto his plate in surprise. "You contacted my wife?"

"Of course," Jess said. "I needed someone to call you. And by the way, you don't need to stop off at the store on the way home, for I've made reservations for the eight of us for 7 o'clock."

"YOU made?" Becker asked drily.

Jess giggled. "Okay, technically Becker made the reservations, but only because I told him to. And Lester, your wife will simply join us there - we decided it was either than bothering with security clearance here."

Abby smiled, all the pieces now fitting into place. Impressed at Jess's organising skills, she complimented, "You've thought of everything, Jess."

"Except the safeword," Emily pointed out. "That was my suggestion."

"Safeword?" Becker echoed back, glaring not at Emily but at Abby, who squirmed under his gaze.

Jess, however, didn't seem to notice Emily's miss-speak. "Yes, Emily, thanks so much - 'equestrian' made the PERFECT code word!"

Connor looked lost. "But why did you need a code word?"

"Because there was always the chance that a REAL anomaly might open this afternoon," Jess explained, "and I needed to be able to signal to Becker that the alarm wasn't real."

"Clever," Matt said, clearly impressed.

Jess beamed. "I know, wasn't it? And having Abby distract Lester until his wife's phone call worked perfectly. Oh," Jess said, suddenly remembering, "and Abby, did you get to ask him your question?"

"What question?" Lester asked.

Abby took a big breath, ready to launch into her appeal once again, but instead Jess blurted out, "Can she and Connor have Rex and the diictodons as pets again?"

Lester shrugged. "Yes, of course. I would've thought they'd've taken them home ages ago."

"What?" Abby couldn't quite believe her ears. She'd built up this whole thing in her head, obsessing about it all week, and it was all over in a matter of seconds.

Connor turned towards her, beaming. "You hear that? We can have the kids again! What'd I tell you?" he said, planting a huge kiss on her.

After the embrace, Abby turned towards Jess, planning to offer her a grateful "Thank you." But the girl had wandered off with the soldier to get another piece of cake, and Abby realised she'd have to give her friend her thanks...and possibly her apologies...later.

...

As Abby poured herself another glass of champagne, she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"Abigail."

He needn't have bothered using her full name, for she would've been able to tell by his tone alone that she was in trouble.

"Hey, Becker," she greeted nervously. "What's up?"

"You know that talk we had this morning, about not wanting to see Jess get hurt?"

Abby nodded warily. "Yeah?"

"Well, like you, that's the last thing I want. Which means that she can NEVER find out what you and the others were gossiping about, what you thought she and I were planning all week, yeah?" Becker said no more, but the threat was perfectly understood.

Abby gulped nervously. "I promise you she'll never know."

"Good." Becker turned to leave, calling back, "Drink up. Jess made me buy several cases just so we wouldn't run out."

Abby drained her glass and poured herself another, realising that, after all, she had lots to celebrate. Lester was an amazing boss, despite his grumpiness, and, thanks to Jess, was finally getting some of the recognition he deserved. In addition, she and Connor would soon have their pets again.

And most importantly, she no longer had to worry about her friend being disappointed this evening, for this party couldn't have been more special.

...

EPILOGUE

"So, are you happy with the way things turned out?" Becker asked. "Was it 'special' enough for you?"

Jess grinned. "Yes, I'm quite pleased. I think Lester was really touched, despite his grousing. And I never could've done it all without your help."

"Any time." He squeezed her hand meaningfully before asking pointedly, "So...how soon until Abby and Connor move out?"

"Well, now that they know they can have their pets back, I'm sure they'll make more of an effort to find a place."

"Good. I'm tired of the way your flatmates are always all up in your business. And speaking of, what excuse did you give them as to why you'd be home so late tonight?"

"I told them that you were going to help me clean up Ops, since we left the place such a mess."

Becker smiled and tenderly kissed her hair. "Then don't you think we should get back to the ARC and do that?"

"No need. I asked Zahra and Jo to pick up after. And as for you and me," she said, raising her head from Becker's bare chest and propping herself up on her elbow to give him a wicked grin, "I have something extra special planned!"

...

THE END


End file.
